Culture Surfing - TIM STOLTENBERG

Tim Stoltenberg, director of improv at Dad’s Garage Theatre, has loving on his mind. He’s the co-creator and co-director of Date, an original show about love, relationships and the dating scene, featuring Chris Blair, Amber Nash, Katie Rowlett and Joe Sykes, and co-directed with Matt Horgan. The twist is that Date, opening Oct. 19 at the Top Shelf Space, features no dialogue, so it explores emotions nonverbally. Stoltenberg proved talkative enough to offer his own tips for dating.

Best place to get clothes for a date: “Urban Outfitters is always a good place for me to start. They have a lot of items that are easy to mix and match. I’m colorblind, so I have to buy clothes that I’ve been told match – or that have little animals on them so I can match them together myself. Panda goes with panda and tiger goes with tiger.”

Best places to eat and talk on a date: “I like places that don’t have blaring music, so I can hear what’s being said to me instead of just sitting there and smiling and nodding my head every few minutes. Manuel’s Tavern and the Albert are both great places for that.”

Best TV show to watch on a date: “I’ve recently started watching Season One of ‘Arrested Development’ on DVD, and I find it absolutely hilarious. It’s such a smart comedy. If your date watches it and laughs along with you, they’re a keeper.”

Best album to “set the mood” on a date: “White Ladder by David Gray. It’s soft, sensual and goes well with candles.”

Best book to read on a date: “I wouldn’t recommend reading a book on a date.”

Best movie to watch on a date: “If a date is going well, I like to watch The Princess Bride. It’s a classic. It has princesses and Andre the Giant in it – a little something for everyone. If a date is going poorly, I’ll put on Anaconda because, let’s face it, nobody likes giant snakes, Ice Cube or Jon Voight’s overacting.”

Best things to do on a date: “Halloween is coming up, so a haunted house is always fun. (Netherworld is my favorite.) Carving pumpkins together can be a good idea as well. Do not, however, go walking through the Decatur Cemetery at night as a “scary adventure.” I tried that on a date last year and the cops came and held us for 45 minutes. Nothing impresses a date more than crying on your knees while pleading with the cops not to throw you in jail.”